An important consideration in the design video game systems is the provision of a “pause” function. The pause function allows a player to pause, or “freeze,” a game at a given point in time, tend to a matter that is not related to the game, and then resume the game at the point where it was paused. In this manner, the player's activity within the game does not lapse due to continuation of the game during a period when the player's attention is elsewhere. Thus, the player's performance within the game is not adversely affected by interruptions.
The pause function provided in prior video game systems requires the player to take an affirmative step to pause the game. For example, the player must press a button on a handheld controller.
The requirement that a player take an affirmative step to pause a game is often inconvenient. In games where precise timing is critical to successful play, the period of time it takes for a player to initiate a pause can adversely affect the player's success in the game, and thereby detract from the player's enjoyment. This is particularly true when the player is interrupted on numerous occasions during play.
In view of the drawbacks associated with prior implementations of the video game pause function, the inventors of the present system and method have recognized that it is desirable to provide a video game pause function which is initiated automatically upon aversion of a player's attention from the game.
Further, the inventors of the present system and method have recognized that an automatically initiated pause function is desirable not only in the context of video games but in the context of video display systems in general. For example, a person viewing a pre-recorded video on a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) or DVR (Digital Video Recorder) system may be interrupted before being able to take an affirmative step to pause the video. In such a case, an automatic pause function can freeze the video at the point of interruption so that the person can resume viewing at the point of interruption without having to perform a reverse search to find the point of interruption.
Still further, the inventors of the present system and method have recognized that an automatic pause function for a video system can be efficiently implemented by monitoring the attention of the video system user(s). Moreover, the inventors have recognized that monitoring the attention of a user is beneficial not only in the context of providing an automatic pause function for a video system but in the broader context of controlling processes in general. For example, a voice-controlled video system can be designed to respond to voice commands only when the attention of a user is directed toward the system's display screen.